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            Hours Before Deadline, Gaps Remain in Iran Nuclear Talks

   by VOA News

   Negotiations on curbing Iran's nuclear program entered their final
   hours Tuesday before a self-imposed midnight deadline, with teams from
   Iran and a group of six world powers trying to resolve 18 months of
   talks into the outline of a comprehensive agreement.

   Officials in Lausanne, Switzerland, expressed a mix of hope and caution
   about the work that remained to overcome differences on pieces such as
   how long the deal should last, how quickly economic sanctions against
   Iran should be lifted, and what to do if Iran violates the terms.

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said "some difficult issues" remain,
   while Iran's chief negotiator, Abbas Aragchi, said a deal could be
   reached perhaps Tuesday or Wednesday.

   Iran and the group that includes Britain, China, France, Russia, the
   United States and Germany have a history of extending their deadlines,
   having done so twice since agreeing to an interim nuclear deal in
   November 2013.

   But U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Monday that the
   two sides are focused on keeping the Tuesday deadline.

   "It has to mean something and the decisions don't get easier after
   March 31," Harf said.

   A framework agreement would be followed by additional negotiations to
   craft the final deal by the end of June.

   The United Nations and Western governments have imposed multiple rounds
   of sanctions demanding Iran suspend enrichment activity and other
   aspects of its nuclear program.  Iran wants those to be lifted under
   the deal.  In exchange, the group of world powers wants to ensure
   Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, and in case Iran does work to
   develop a weapon, to leave the country no closer than a year away from
   doing so in order to have time to respond.

   Iran has long denied wanting to build nuclear weapons and insists its
   program is solely for civilian purposes.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/gaps-remain-in-iran-nuclear-talks/270
   0845.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/gaps-remain-in-iran-nuclear-talks/2700845.html